New license plate benefits museum

Dec 22, 2015

A State of New Mexico license plate pays tribute to the state’s farming and ranching heritage and benefits the New Mexico Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum’s education programs.

The specialty plate, which features a silhouette of a windmill against a yellow, orange and red backdrop, is available through the state’s Motor Vehicle Division for all New Mexico residents. Authorized by the state Legislature, the Farm & Ranch Community license plate is for anyone wants to honor the state’s agricultural heritage and its rural residents.

The annual fee for the plate is $35 in addition to regular car registration, plus $2 for administration fees. The first $12 of the $37 fee is retained (by statute) by the New Mexico Motor Vehicle Division to cover the costs of printing the plate and administering the program. The remaining $25 is turned over to the museum’s education department to support its programming.

The museum uses much of the funds to enhance its Big Yellow School Bus Fund, a program developed in 2006 to offer “bus scholarships” to help schools offset the costs of a field trip to the museum. A school is typically charged $100-$300 for each bus they need when they take a field trip.

Anyone interested in acquiring a plate can get one now, even if their registration is not yet due. They can pick up a plate at one of the MVD offices in Las Cruces. Anyone outside of Las Cruces can fill out an application and pay the $37 to order the plate. The applications are available at any MVD office in the state, as well as the museum’s website at www.nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.

The fee will automatically be added to your vehicle registration fees each year when your renewal comes due. If you are within 60 days of your renewal date, you can renew and get the new plate at the same time. For more information, contact your local MVD office, or call the museum at (575) 522-4100.